Facing difficulties in installing a door lock is something completely natural for beginners.
But if you pay a lot of money just to hire a professional to install the lock, then that might be a foolish decision.
For a much cheaper and arguably easier alternative, you should purchase the best door lock installation kit.
Don’t have much idea about these installation kits? Fear not because that is why we are here. In this article, we will let you know everything there is to know about these kits.
For that, we have selected six of the best products out there to review. Through these, we aim to help you gain a more in-depth understanding of these kits.
List of Top Rated Door Lock Installation Kits We Reviewed
- DEWALT Door Lock Installation Kit For Metal Or Wood Doors
- IVY Classic 27003 Door Lock Installation Kit With Guide Template
- Ryobi A99DLK4 Wood And Metal Door Lock Installation Kit
- Milwaukee 49-22-4073 Door Lock And Deadbolt Installation Kit
- IRWIN Door Lock Installation Kit with Templates For Wooden Doors
- CRAFTSMAN Hole Saw Kit Professional Door Lock Installation Kit
Top 6 Best Door Lock Installation Kits Reviews
This is the section where we review the six handpicked products. In these reviews, we will highlight everything that is good and bad about each product. So without further ado, let us get to the reviews.
1. DEWALT Door Lock Installation Kit for metal or wood doors
DEWALT is known for providing top tier quality at an affordable price. This product adheres to that motto perfectly.
At an extremely low price, it brings durability, functionality, and convenience at the same time. Additionally, it also impresses when it comes to versatility.
The best part about this kit is that it works on almost any door. That means you can use it on both wooden and metal doors. These kits need to have a certain amount of sturdiness to work so seamlessly on metal doors.
And this kit gets the necessary sturdiness from having a jig made of high-quality carbon steel.
- Works on both wooden and metal doors
- Has a jig made of good quality carbon steel
- Equipped with a hole saw made of top tier M3 steel
- Uses a C-clamp design to avoid scratches on your door
On the other hand, the hole saw that comes with the kit is made of top tier M3 steel. That is the best quality of steel available for these saws, and thus this DEWALT door lock installation kit is one of the most efficient kits available. The design is also very impressive. This kit uses a C-clamp design.
Additionally, the jig is filled with rubber padding on all the necessary spots. So you can easily avoid scratches on the door while using this. The only potential drawback of this kit is that it is essentially useless with any door that has a thickness below 1.75 inches.
So if you are buying this kit, make sure you have a thick door.
2. IVY Classic 27003 Door Lock Installation Kit with Guide Template for Wood Doors
This wood door lock install kit from Ivy is tailor-made for beginners. If you are someone whose experience with installing locks tends to zero, this is a kit you should definitely look out for.
The fact that it is so affordable just adds to that even more.
But at first, we must warn you that this door doesn’t have sufficient versatility. Firstly, it doesn’t work on metal doors. Secondly, it doesn’t support a wide variety of thicknesses. Aside from that, this door has a lot to offer.
- Comes with a detailed setup guide for easier assembly
- Has four different setups depending on personal preferences
- Equipped with highly efficient and sharp hole saws
- Features a clamp design for a tighter grip and a smoother operation
One of the more difficult aspects of an installation kit is its assembly. Beginners can have a rough time installing the kit properly. But that problem isn’t present in this kit. It comes with a detailed setup guide. Following this will allow you to effortlessly assemble the kit.
Moreover, the setup is very flexible according to your requirements and preferences. There are at least four different ways of setting this up, and the guide details all of them.
The hole saws that come with the kit are made of carbon steel and are extremely sharp. These saws make it very easy to drill holes for the lock.
Another aspect of this that would greatly benefit the beginners is the extremely tight grip of the jig. The clamp design not only helps avoid scratches on the door but also keeps the jig tightly secure as you drill all the necessary holes.
3. Ryobi A99DLK4 Wood and Metal Door Lock Installation Kit for Deadbolts and Locksets
The Ryobi door lock installation kit is one of the most complete installation kits out there. It offers everything you could expect from a door lock installation kit.
While it might be on the slightly pricier side comparatively, this kit makes up for it with all its amazing features.
Firstly, let us commend the versatility of this kit. It works on both wooden and metal doors. So you at least don’t have to take the type of your door into consideration.
- Provides maximum versatility by being compatible in both wood and metal
- Features a unique auto-strike locator for better alignment
- Has a detailed guide to help with the assembly
- Maintains the perfect balance between durability and convenience
- Equipped with extremely good carbon steel hole saws
Secondly, this door comes with a detailed setup guide, just like the kit from Ivy. This guide has all the instructions you will need to assemble the jig and hole saw combination.
Thirdly, the lightweight and strong construction of the pieces (the jig in particular) makes for a perfect balance between strength and convenience. It provides sufficient sturdiness and durability without sacrificing much of its maneuverability.
Not only that, even the hole saws that are present in this kit are absolutely top tier. These are made from the best type of carbon steel and thus allows for a very efficient operation.
But the unique feature this kit has to offer has to be the auto strike locator. Because of this, the alignment of the jig is vastly improved compared to its contemporaries.
However, the design of the kit can be a little underwhelming. The jig neither has sufficient rubber padding nor has a clamp-up design. So your door is prone to scratches while using this if you aren’t careful enough.
4. Milwaukee 49-22-4073 Door Lock and Deadbolt Installation Kit
This professional door lock installation kit from Milwaukee is designed for the best performance possible. Its pure focus on functionality really makes it stand out from the competition.
Furthermore, it also ensures that the kit is user-friendly and easy to use with multiple features catering to the user’s convenience.
Let us first talk about a feature unique to this kit. The saw bits that come with the kit have some small access holes in them.
These holes allow you to easily access the plugs without needing to unscrew the entire bit and screw it back again.
- Features an auto-centering latch hole for maximum convenience
- Comes with hole saws with sharp carbide teeth for better precision and accuracy
- Hole saws are made of reinforced steel for increased durability
- Makes fastening the jig very easy with its non-slip clamp design
- Equipped with drill bits with access holes on the side for easier access to plugs
To further add to the convenience, the jig of this kit features an auto-centering latch hole. Wrong placement of the jig is one of the biggest reasons people end up making mistakes while installing door locks. This feature eliminates the possibility of that mistake.
Again, the jig uses a non-slip clamp design. Thus, fastening the jig properly is extremely easy and takes little to no hassle.
Now that we have talked about its user-friendly features, let us get down to what makes the kit so efficient. The hole saws that come with the kit are made of reinforced steel for maximum durability. Furthermore, the teeth of the hole saws are made of Carbide to make the holes extremely precise and accurate.
The only issue with this kit is that you may have a hard time unscrewing the bit. That is an area Milwaukee could improve on.
5. IRWIN Door Lock Installation Kit for Wooden Doors with Hinge Template
IRWIN is one of the biggest companies when it comes to products like these.
They have been around for a very long time, and that is because of their trustworthy and efficient products. This product lives up to the IRWIN reputation.
However, we should get some flaws out of the way before we move on further. Firstly, this product is quite pricey compared to the other door lock installation kits.
Secondly, this kit will not function on metal doors as it is made strictly for wooden ones.
- Uses carbon steel hole saws for precise and accurate holes
- Provides templates for door hinges and bolt plates as well
- Works with doors of almost any thickness
- Comes with a jig that can automatically center itself
With those out of the way, let us get down to what makes the kit so great. First, let us talk about the hole saws. These saws are constructed with carbon steel of a very high grade. That makes for precise and accurate holes.
The auto-centering jig makes sure your convenience is taken care of. In the last review, we discussed how people tend to make mistakes by not centering the jig properly. Well, that is not something you have to worry about with this kit.
One of the best parts about this kit is that it doesn’t rest by simply giving you a great performance at installing locks. It even contains templates for hinges and bolt plates and thus providing much-needed versatility. Speaking of versatility, the jig can be adjusted to work on almost any door of any thickness.
6. CRAFTSMAN Hole Saw Kit Professional Door Lock Installation kit
The last door lock installation kit on the list comes from a relatively underrated company known as Craftsman.
Despite it being known less compared to the other kits on the list, it still provides some really good features that you should keep an eye on.
Firstly, there are two variations of this kit. One of them works on wooden doors only, and the other works on metal doors only. So while you don’t get a single kit that works on both types of doors, you do have the option of buying the one you need.
And the fact that both of them cost the same and the price is very low makes the deal even better.
- Has two different variations for wooden doors and metal doors, respectively
- Equipped jig and hole saws with reinforced steel construction
- The hole saws are equipped with sharp carbide teeth
- Comes with a detailed setup guide
Both the jig and the hole saws are made of high quality reinforced steel. Thus, they are sturdy, efficient, and durable. Speaking of the hole saws, we need to talk about their precision as well. The carbide teeth really make the holes extremely accurate and efficient.
Furthermore, the assembly is extremely simple. It doesn’t have a single complicated step. Also, it comes with an extremely detailed step-by-step guide to help you through the process.
However, you may face some difficulty while clamping the jig to the door. It can loosen up very easily. So you must be vigilant so that it doesn’t happen.
Buyers Guide for Door Lock Installation Kits
By reading the six reviews, you likely have an idea of what makes the door lock installation kit great. Now it is time to expand on that idea. In this section, we will be looking at factors you should consider before buying a door lock installation kit.
Type of Door
Before looking for the right installation kit for your door lock, make sure you know the requirements of your door.
For that, you should know what material your door is made of. Depending on that, you should select the kit. If you have a metal door and you purchase a kit that works on wooden doors only, the purchase is redundant.
Again, you should also take accurate measurements of the door. In particular, you should measure the thickness of the door. All jigs aren’t compatible with any thickness. So you should take that into consideration before choosing the kit.
Quality of the Jig
The jig is an essential part of the door lock installation kit. The jig makes sure your holes are precise and accurate. But to get the most out of your jig, you have to make sure it is top-notch.
At first, you have to assess the material the jig is made of. The materials for jigs can be quite flexible. You can get great service from jigs made of carbon steel and jigs made of plastic alike.
After that, you need to look at the design of the jig. In particular, you should make sure the jig has a solid clamp system to fasten it tightly to the door. Additionally, if the jig has rubber feet, it can avoid scratches to the door.
Hole Saws
Hole saws are absolutely crucial to a door lock installation kit. It is arguably the most important part of the kit. Using the hole saw, you are supposed to drill the required holes. Now there are two types of hole saws with different diameters.
The wider circular hole saw usually has a diameter of 50 mm, and the thinner cylindrical hole saw has a diameter of 25 mm. Both of them are quite essential to installing the necessary door lock.
However, to get the most out of the door lock, you must make sure their build is top-notch. Usually, most hole saws are made of carbon steel. It is good enough to drill accurate holes. But if you want the best performance possible, then you should aim for a hole saw made of M3 steel.
Durability
You obviously don’t want your kit to break down on you after a few months of use. That is why it is extremely important to make sure any product you are buying will be durable enough. For that, you need to look at the build quality and the materials used.
Usually, most jigs that are made of carbon steel are quite durable. The plastic ones can be pretty hit or miss. Again, the design shouldn’t be flimsy. To ensure that it is not, the best place to check is online reviews from customers and articles like these.
Convenience
The very purpose behind the existence of the door lock installation kit is to make installing door locks as easy as possible. So if a kit makes your work harder than it already is, the kit is essentially redundant. That is why you need to look out for features that increase the convenience of your work.
For example, features like auto-centering can really help reduce your hassle. If a jig features auto-centering, you don’t have to worry about placing it properly. The jig will do that for you.
Again, the alignment of the jig can be quite a hassle. If the jig features an auto-strike locator, aligning it will become much easier.
You should also look for kits that come with drill bits with access holes. That way, you can access the plugs much easily, and you wouldn’t need to unscrew the entire bit.
FAQ’s Related to Door Lock Installation Kit
Here we have the most commonly asked queries regarding the best door lock installation kits:
1. How many tools are present in a door lock installation kit?
The necessary tools present in the kit are the jig, two (or more) hole saws, multiple drill bits, a stopper for hole saw, and a user manual (sometimes).
2. What is a hole saw?
Hole saws are special types of circular saws. These saws are responsible for drilling the required holes needed for the door lock. And these contain sharp teeth that make drilling very easy.
3. What is a drill bit?
Drill bits are objects that you attach with the hole saw in order to drill the required holes. They act as a guide for the sharp teeth of the saws. The drill bit needs to be placed on the center of the hole.
4. How to use the door lock installation kit?
Firstly, you must fix the jig onto the door. Then, you have to position the offset in such a way that it is directly above the spot where you want to place the lock. After that, assemble the hole saw, drill bit, and stopper together and attach them with a drill of your choice.
Drill through the offset until the stopper stops you in the path. After this, the tip of the drill bit will likely have penetrated the door. Repeat the same process from the opposite side of the door. This time, make sure to put the tip of the drill bit exactly where it penetrated last time.
Lastly, connect the drill with the 25-millimeter hole saw and drill through the latch hole. After that, all you have to do is install the necessary lock.
Final Words
While it is definitely advisable to seek professional help when you really need it, it is very important to know when you don’t need it. Installing door locks is something you can make do without any professional help due to the existence of the door lock installation kits.
With the best door lock installation kit, you can easily make all the required holes you need and then install the lock where you desire. It is an extremely easy process, and almost anyone can do it.
All you need to do is make sure that the kit you are buying is compatible with the door you use. We have talked about this compatibility in detail in both the reviews and the buying guide. Make sure to refer to those if you have any confusion. So follow our advice and get yourself your required kit as soon as possible.
This is Adam Sullivan, the author of tchardwaretools.com! I started my days as a mobile carpenter to become a full-time shop owner, and have been living my professional life for more than 8 years now.
Here I want to share my thoughts, experiences, and ideas through this platform. Stay Tuned!